The United States imported a record 53,290 tonnes of refined copper from the Democratic Republic of Congo in July, as American manufacturers increasingly accepted metal from Africa's second-largest copper producer at discounted prices, according to US trade data cited by Reuters.

The July shipment exceeded the fewer than 32,000 tonnes the US imported from Congo during the whole of 2024. Congolese copper accounted for 23.9 per cent of all American copper imports in July, while total US imports exceeded 220,000 tonnes for the first time as traders rushed to deliver metal before the possible introduction of tariffs.

The increase marks an important shift for Congolese copper, which has traditionally been directed towards China and was previously less widely accepted by American industrial users. No Congolese copper brand is currently approved for delivery against contracts traded on COMEX, the principal US metals-futures exchange. Only two African copper brands, both produced in Zambia, appear on the exchange's approved list. That restriction does not prevent American manufacturers from purchasing Congolese copper for physical use, but it means the metal cannot be delivered to settle a COMEX futures contract.

Congolese copper is instead generally priced against the London Metal Exchange. Reuters cited an industry source who said his metal was typically sold at a discount of between $550 and $800 per tonne to account for freight costs. The unusually large premium commanded by COMEX-approved copper during the summer made the Congolese alternative more attractive to American copper-rod mills and tube manufacturers. Industry sources also said the quality of Congolese copper had improved, removing another obstacle to its acceptance in the US.

The increase in American imports coincided with a decline in the volume of Congolese copper entering China. China imported 4.3 per cent less copper from Congo during the first seven months of 2026 than it did during the corresponding period a year earlier. In July, Chinese imports from Congo reached 95,778 tonnes, representing 39.4 per cent of China's total copper imports — Congo's lowest monthly share of the Chinese market since October 2025. China still bought substantially more Congolese copper than the United States, and Congo's share of Chinese imports actually increased by five percentage points to 44.7 per cent during the seven-month period.

The commercial shift supports Washington's wider effort to secure more African copper, cobalt and other strategic minerals. Earlier in 2026, Congo's state-owned miner Gécamines began arranging the export of 100,000 tonnes of copper to the United States through a trading partnership with Mercuria. Washington has also been supporting railway and infrastructure projects intended to move copper and cobalt from the Congolese mining belt through Angola's Lobito port.

The July figures suggest that price and improved product quality may now be reinforcing those diplomatic efforts. American manufacturers are not buying the metal solely because of government strategy: they can obtain usable copper at a lower cost than some COMEX-approved alternatives. However, the surge may not be permanent. Part of the July increase came as traders accelerated shipments ahead of possible US tariffs, while the price advantage could narrow if the gap between COMEX and London copper prices falls. The identities of the Congolese producers and American buyers responsible for July's record imports were not disclosed.